Afford Anything
You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
376
PSA Thursday - Your Complete Guide to Donor Adv...
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26 min
377
Why I Quit My Job in the Middle of a Recession ...
#261: I quit my job at the beginning of a recession and made it work. Two years ago, I did an interview with Lessons From a Quitter explaining how. Given that so many community members want to leave their jobs for something better in the future,...
51 min
378
PSA Thursday - How Does the CARES Act Impact St...
Welcome back to PSA Thursday, a mostly-weekly segment in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic. In this episode, we cover how to manage student loans in the midst of the pandemic with Travis Hornsby, a...
28 min
379
Ask Paula: Should I Fire My Financial Advisor D...
#260: Katelyn wants to fire her financial advisor and move her investments from mutual funds into Vanguard index funds. Should she do this during the pandemic? Or should she wait? Marisa asks: can you invest in a Roth IRA if your income is...
56 min
380
How to Lead with a Vision, with Michael Hyatt
#259: Leadership comes in all forms. Whether you’re a small business owner, a manager or department head at work, or the head of a volunteer organization, having a crystal clear vision is critical to success. Without a clear vision, you’re likely...
65 min
381
PSA Thursday -- Actions Speak Louder Than Words
We have muted the podcast thusfar this week, in support of the #amplifymelanatedvoices movement and in support of the #theshowmustbepaused movement. We have assembled a list of resources that highlight books, websites, podcasts, nonprofit...
7 min
382
PSA Thursday - Your Guide to Giving: How to Don...
Let's start with the good news: the majority of U.S. households, 6 in 10, donate money to nonprofits and charities, and 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. volunteer their time and talent. The only way our society is going to get through the struggles and the...
23 min
383
Ask Paula: Can I Quit My Job Before I'm Financi...
#258: “Burned Out in Boston” wants to reach financial independence. But she’s not sure she can stick it out in Boston much longer. She and her husband want to move to an area that doesn’t have many job prospects, and they want to make this...
50 min
384
How to Stop Screwing Up Our Finances, Even in a...
#257: “The checking account is like the trash can of personal finance.” Today’s podcast guest, the famed behavioral economist Dr. Dan Ariely, is not a fan of checking accounts. Or supermarket end caps. Or anything that distracts us from...
55 min
385
PSA Thursday: How Can I End 2020 in a Stronger ...
How can you find business and investment opportunities in today’s tough pandemic bear market? What should you do to emerge from 2020 stronger than you started? We cover 7 specific, immediate actions that can set you up to succeed in this recession....
31 min
386
Ask Paula: Bonds Are Tanking. Should I Switch t...
#256: Jon is wondering if now is a good time to move his RRSP into a tax-free savings account, given the market downturn. He knows you can’t time the market, but the opportunity is tempting. What should he do? Laurel’s question revolves around the...
73 min
387
PSA Thursday: How Is The Pandemic Affecting the...
Before the pandemic, the U.S. housing market was strong. Home prices were at historic highs. Borrowers were more qualified than ever, with two-thirds of mortgage originations going to borrowers with excellent credit. As of January 2020, delinquencies...
19 min
388
How Your Personality Affects Your Finances, wit...
#255: When a crisis hits, do you stay calm and collected, or do you launch yourself down a rabbit hole of worry and worst-case scenarios? When the stock market spirals downward, do you shrug and stay the course, or do warning bells explode in your...
67 min
389
Ask Paula: Should I Invest During the Pandemic?
#254: Lydia earns income as both a 1099 contract worker and a part-time W2 employee. She filed for unemployment as a W2 worker, but can’t find information on how to file as a contractor. Is there a process contractors can follow to file for...
70 min
390
PSA Thursday: How Bad Is the Stock Market Crash?
Welcome back to PSA Thursday, a segment in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic. Today, our focus is on money - specifically, the stock market. Why did it crash in March? What effect did that have on us...
28 min
391
The Thinker's Guide to Market Volatility, with ...
#253: Dr. Steve Wendel is a behavioral economist and the head of behavioral science at Morningstar, an independent investment research firm. Samantha Lamas is also a behavioral researcher at Morningstar. They discuss the hidden biases in our decision...
63 min
392
Ask Paula: Will the Stimulus Cause Massive Infl...
#252: The government issued a $2 trillion stimulus. How will that affect the economy? Could we endure massive inflation or hyperinflation? Bradley kicks off today’s Ask Paula episode with this timely question. What inflation rate will we see in...
71 min
393
PSA Thursday: 31 Tips to Stay Productive as you...
Download the 31 Tips to Stay Productive as you Work From Home at
59 min
394
From High School Dropout to Successful Entrepre...
#251: Do you love the idea of making money on your own -- without a boss? Can you imagine deciding how you spend each day? Are you bored and looking for a challenge? Do you love the thought of adventure? Today’s guest, Chris Guillebeau, knows all...
60 min
395
PSA Thursday: How to Build an Emergency Fund Du...
A weekly segment in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic. Here's how to build an emergency fund during an emergency, and how the bear market affects your investment strategy.
39 min
396
Ethical Investing 101, with Dr. Jon Hale, Head ...
#250: Should we invest in sustainable funds? If we choose sustainable funds, will our investment returns suffer? Will our expense ratios be sky-high? What drawbacks might we face? How do we know that these funds are actually ethical? And what...
64 min
397
How to Talk to Your Parents About Retirement an...
#249: I’m recovering from Covid-19 at the moment, so I couldn't put together a new episode this week. But in honor of the First Friday of the month, I wanted to re-air this interview with Cameron Huddleston, which we originally aired in August 2019....
69 min
398
PSA Thursday: I Tested Positive for Coronavirus...
Paula describes the experience of having Covid-19, the illness caused by coronavirus.
26 min
399
Covid-19 and the Bear Market
#248: We are living in a time of extreme uncertainty. Many of us are questioning how we can best use the funds we have to survive it. “Should I sell the funds I have invested in the market, or keep contributing?” “Should I continue with my...
56 min
400
OMG Monday: Welp, I Have a Fever of 102.3 Degrees
It's Quarantine Day 10, and thank goodness I've been staying in, because yesterday I learned that I have a 102.3 degree fever. I don't know if it's Covid-19 or if it's a fever with extraordinarily bad timing.
5 min